Today we’d like to introduce you to Andy Magro.
Hi Andy, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
OK, let’s start from the beginning… Leonardo Di Caprio, Kate Winslet and James Cameron are in fact the reason why I am where I am. You are asking yourself why?! Well, Titanic was the first movie I have watched at the movies. I was very young when Titanic was released. I was so fascinated that I said to my parents that I wanted to do what they do. Since that magical day, I knew that I was born to be an actor. I never stopped working on my career. I wanted to learn the craft from scratch and therefore visited an acting conservatory in Germany to study the basics of stage acting and then moved to Australia to attend the Australian Film & TV Academy to learn all the film & tv skills. After that, I enrolled on several other acting schools all over Europe (Italy, UK) and finally got coached by many amazing acting coaches and acting studios like the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute, the Michelle Danner Acting Studio, the Bernard Hiller Acting Studio, the Acting & Voices Studios, the Actors Connection Studios and currently I am enrolled on an on-going basis at the Charlotte Acting Studio and coached by the magnificent Linda Ann Watt.
During my career so far, I´ve learned so many things and still must learn so many more. I´ve learned Scene Study, Audition Technique, Cold Reading, Self-Tapes, Film & TV Camera Acting Intensives, attended various voice-over classes especially within the Animation and Video Game sector. That is the training section. Now let’s talk about my experience on set. I´ve started to act in numerous student and short films in Germany. A leading role in a music video from Inspectah Deck from the Wu Tang Clan followed which aired on MTV. This was my first appearance on tv. Commercials for Club Mate, Medien Campus Bayern and Volkswagen followed. Had a few Guest Star roles on German tv-series like Leipzig Homicide and Aktenzeichen XY. After that I wanted to work in other languages than German and so I worked on a Spanish short and an Italian short next to the Italian actor Tony Sperandeo. This was an awesome experience. But when I got the chance to audition for David Cronenberg for a supporting role next to Keira Knightley, Viggo Mortensen, Michael Fassbender and Vincent Cassel, I was so nervous that I couldn´t believe it. I was living in Stuttgart, Germany during that time and the audition took place in Cologne, Germany. The distance is about 350 km or 217 miles. Self-Tapes were completely unknown during that time and so I had to travel at my expense to the audition for 10 minutes of a casting. This was the worst audition I made in my opinion, because I slated in German, but I should slate in English and everyone in the room laughed but you know what, this situation made me unnerved and very natural and comfortable. This was my first audition in English, and I was so nervous because three amazing Casting Directors were there just to see me. I, therefore, can´t thank them enough for the big chance they gave me.
So, I want to thank them again as its also thanks to them that I am where I am now. So, a big thank you to you Iris Baumüller from Die Besetzer Casting, Marc Schötteldreier from MS Casting and to Deirdre Bowen from Deirdre Bowen Casting. A big thank you also to the producer Jeremy Thomas and the whole production team at Recorded Picture Company for your trust. Thanks to the awesome David Cronenberg for choosing me as the eldest son of Sigmund Freud (played by Viggo Mortensen). A very tiny role but a big honor for me! Thanks also to all the Casting Directors who have cast me so far like Michela Forbicioni and her great assistant Greta Tantari from Shaila Rubin European Casting Service and all the producers who hired me. A big shoutout also to all my wonderful talent agents Jessica Felrice and Jason Sasportas from Stewart Talent Agency in New York, Ryan Brown and Paullette Ballola from ADR Agency in Honolulu and my manager Gerard George from CSP Management in Los Angeles. Thanks also to all the wonderful people I had the honor to meet so far and from which I´ve learned a lot like Josh Cohen from Paradigm Talent Agency, Pamela Goldman from Buchwald Talent Agency, Mallory Tucker from CESD Talent Agency, Victoria Kress from A3 Artists Agency and so many more! Without all of you, all this would not be possible. And finally, thanks also to all my fans on social media and offline who are supporting me every day. And of course, thank you Voyage LA Magazine for this interview. Los Angeles has already given me so much and I just love it.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Oh, definitely not!!! In fact, if there is one thing I´ve learned during all these years is that you are never arrived. You always have something to learn, EVERYDAY!!! There have been lots of struggles and I thought about quitting lots of times to be honest as this industry can be very frustrating, challenging, disappointing and depressive. But not because of the job but because of the no’s you´ll hear most of the time. When I started and always got a NO from talent agents, casting directors, producers, directors, acting coaches after auditions, etc. I asked myself if I am a dog because the most mentioned word a dog hears is NO, LOL. But you know what?! After all these years, I am so grateful about all those no’s as they make you grow, they make you stand up when you fall. I realized that a no is nothing bad… It´s just a no for now. It´s a chance to grow as an artist. Another example I want to share with you is related to working permits.
It’s very difficult to get an O-1B visa to be able to work in the United States as an actor. You can´t just go to Los Angeles, Atlanta or New York as a tourist and say: Hi, I am an actor and want to work. This may be possible in Europe, Australia, or the UK but not in the US. You must apply for a visa, and you want to make sure to have all working papers before you make the move to the states as you won´t find a talent agency which is willing or legally able to represent you without legal working papers. Luckily, I got this visa approved which is just overwhelming as this is another proof of my ability, talent, and expertise. Theoretically, I am American but unfortunately, I only have the Italian and German Citizenship. My sister is a US Citizen, my parents lived in New York for 10 years and most of my relatives are still living in New York. I worked very hard and persistent to get where I wanted to get. Now, here I am, in Lalaland, hoping to show my talent also to the awesome US people. If you are facing the right direction, all you must do is keep on walking.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Well… I am mainly an actor as I started to act a very long time ago. So, this is my biggest passion. I´m burning for this profession. I started to act in school plays and on stage and then transited to film and tv. A few years ago, I then gained experience also as a photo model and brand ambassador for various big international brands like HRS, Tommy Hilfiger, Superdry and The Body Shop through print and social media campaigns. Since then, I worked on feature films, tv-series, short films, commercials, and music videos. About ten years ago I started to write and sing my own original songs and released five of them so far on all digital stores like iTunes, Spotify, iHeartRadio, etc. And since covid, I was grateful to be versatile and being able to work in many different areas within the entertainment industry. This is why I took classes for becoming a voice-over artist and now I´m gratefully working within this beautiful industry. I am lucky enough to speak six languages as this is one of my biggest talents. I love learning new languages. My most notable performance was as ‘Jean Freud’ in the international feature film “A Dangerous Method” alongside Keira Knightley, Michael Fassbender, and Viggo Mortensen. This was my entry door into the international acting world. I think my height sets me apart from others, plus my language skills (English, Italian, German, Spanish, French, Norwegian). I am very short for a man, 5 feet 3 inches, so I think my Italian genes are responsible for this, LOL… I am very proud to have won over 26 film awards globally so far as this means that I am doing something right! An award gives you all the energy back that you lost while filming to always give great performances and making your character alive for all the upcoming projects. I love my job and can´t think of doing something else.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I´d recommend achieving representation with a manager before reaching out to talent agents, especially if you are a newcomer with not so much experience under your belt as they will try to help to build your career. My next advice would be to study a lot! Take classes in different areas like scene study, voice-over, audition technique and never stop learning! Try to attend film festivals and just be yourself. Submit yourself on legit casting platforms for student films, short films, commercials, etc. to gain experience on set and learn the craft in a practical way. You´ll start to build your resume and then you can start to submit to agents or if you are lucky enough, they will reach out to you! And my last advice would be to NEVER give up on your dream! Always believe in yourself.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.andymagro.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/realandymagro
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/andymagroofficial
- Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/andymagro
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/realandymagro
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/AndyMagro
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/andymagro
- Other: http://resumes.actorsaccess.com/andymagro https://www.imdb.me/andymagro
Image Credits
Cam Harle Photography Lucio Virzì Recorded Picture Company
